Tattoo You: Rolling Stones Digital Archive Unveils 1981 Concert

When the Rolling Stones opened the Stones Archive for business late in 2011 with the first-ever legitimate release of The Brussels Affair, it was greeted as somewhat of a mixed blessing. The Archive promised to be a place where fans of the World’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band “can listen to unheard music, view unseen photographs and films, and look at rare merchandise. Fans have the opportunity to buy items such as signed lithographs, deluxe box sets, even personalised merchandise and tour gear in the shop.” Of course, some lamented the lack of physical counterparts for the Archive’s releases. Others were distressed by the lack of high-fidelity FLAC files for American customers; while purchasers abroad can choose between FLAC and MP3, the Archive’s American licensee (Google Music, via Android Market) offers only MP3. So it’s “business as usual” for the just-announced second release from the Archives. Whereas The Brussels Affair preserved a 1973 concert, the Archives jumps ahead to the waning days of 1981 for Hampton Coliseum: Live 1981.

Recorded in Hampton, Virginia on December 18, 1981, the digital album presents a lengthy concert from the final leg of the Tattoo You tour, and also one of six tour dates taped for radio’s King Biscuit Flower Hour. That night in Virginia, the Stones tore through some of their latest hits from the critically and commercially successful album: “Start Me Up,” “Hang Fire,” “Little T&A,” “Black Limousine,” “Neighbours” and “Waiting on a Friend.” Though Tattoo You was largely assembled from spruced-up outtakes (some dating back as far as a decade), the material felt fresh, and the Rolling Stones were rewarded with their final No. 1 album to date in America. The album was still on audience members’ minds at the time of the December gig, having just been released in late August.

Hit the jump for more on Hampton Coliseum: Live 1981, including the full track listing!

Like The Brussels Affair, Hampton Coliseum is a much-bootlegged concert appearing for the first time in remastered sound, and early reports have indicated that the new release is a distinct remix from the booted versions. Highlights include Mick Jagger leading an audience sing-along during “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” and joking with saxophone great Ernie Watts, who joined the Stones on the expansive tour. (He took over the parts played by the uncredited saxophone colossus, Sonny Rollins, on Tattoo You.) Jagger was deadpan as he informed the audience that Ernie is no relation to drummer Charlie Watts! The Stones paid homage to their Motown contemporaries with roaring takes on Smokey Robinson and the Miracles’ “Going to a Go Go” and The Temptations’ “Just My Imagination.” And the hits just keep on coming in the concert’s final songs: “Honky Tonk Women,” “Brown Sugar,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” “Satisfaction.”

Wolfgang’s Vault has been offering this concert for sale, but the Stones Archive edition expands that version of the title with four additional tracks: “20 Flight Rock,” “Going to a Go Go,” the complete “Let Me Go” and the band introductions. Hampton Coliseum Live 1981 is available now at Android Market as 320 kbps MP3s for the price of $4.99 for the entire concert. As the title just went on sale today, the official Stones Archive site hasn’t yet been updated, but we’re confident that it soon will be. The Android Market link can be found below!

Joe Marchese

JOE MARCHESE (Editor) joined The Second Disc shortly after its launch in early 2010, and has since penned daily news and reviews about classic music of all genres. He has contributed liner notes to reissues from a diverse array of artists, among them Dusty Springfield, B.J. Thomas, The 5th Dimension, Burt Bacharach, Perry Como, Peggy Lipton, Vikki Carr and Andy Williams, and has compiled releases for talents including Robert Goulet and Keith Allison of Paul Revere and the Raiders.
In 2009, Joe began contributing theatre and music reviews to the print publication The Sondheim Review, and his work still appears with frequency in the magazine. In 2012, he joined the staff of The Digital Bits as a regular contributor writing about film and television on DVD and Blu-ray.
Over the past two decades, Joe has also worked in a variety of capacities on and off Broadway as well as at some of the premier theatres in the U.S., including Lincoln Center Theater, George Street Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and the York Theatre Company. He has felt privileged to work on productions alongside artists such as the late Jack Klugman, Eli Wallach, Arthur Laurents, Betty Comden and Adolph Green.
In 2015, Joe teamed with Real Gone Music to form the Second Disc Records label. Celebrating the great songwriters, producers and artists who created the sound of American popular song, Second Disc Records kicked off in March 2015 with newly-curated collections co-produced by Joe from iconic vocalist Johnny Mathis and legendary producer Bob Crewe.
Joe currently resides in the suburbs of New York City.

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Comments

The Stones continue their deal with Google Music, meaning no lossless FLAC version for American customers, while The Stones archive site refuses to sell to American customers. My answer: get one of my overseas friends to copy the FLAC version of “Brussels Affair:Live 1973″ for me(which I then decoded to WAV from FLAC data discs). I got the lossless version….and for free. I’d be willing to pay for a lossless FLAC download, but not for MP3.

By allowing the deal with Google Music to continue, The Stones are giving American fans second class treatment.

This is a great setlist that I would love to hear. But I guess that I am being left behind by technology as I will not buy music that is not in a physical format. CD for me, please. This past weekend I was going through my Stones vinyl and it makes me sad that I won’t be able to do that with new releases in years to come. Looking through album covers, reading liner notes on archival CDs, these are activities that add to my enjoyment of music. It helps add context. Amorphous files just dont have the added value I want.
Boy am I old! I’m sure the music business wil be better off without me.

I don’t blame any of you who would rather have a regular CD of this rather than a download – I’m the same way!! I also like the artwork & liner notes that LP’s and CD’s have. Guess I’ll pass on this too until(?) it’s offered in a physical format.

I’d buy this, but does anyone know if Android Mktplc DLs work with iTunes? There’s surprisingly little on this subject online & it appears to be available only by cloud based streaming, which I’m really not interested in – if I’m going to buy music online, I want it to integrate with the rest of my library….

This show was HOT! The playing was very energetic, with some outstanding solos. I played this thing many times when the vinyl boot was first issued. I prefer this over Still Life, as it is a whole show, and many great performances. Plus two tracks from this actually made it to Still Life.

Not a very good thing that American’s can’t buy the FLAC’s. I don’t mind FLAC’s, because I can convert them to CD-R’s. I think the Rolling Stones are loosing money because of this. They have LOTS of fans in the United States. Strange they can’t buy the FLAC’s.

I would gladly buy just about every show the Stones chose to release if I could purchase the FLAC files, then I could burn it to a CD-R or convert it to a lossy format – but I have no desire to purchase any mp3’s. Thanks but no thanks.